1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to housings for punch down insulation displacement connectors. The invention relates more particularly to housings compatible with plural insertion tools.
2. Related Art
A punch down insulation displacement connector (punch down IDC) is a type of cable termination connector in common use throughout the telecommunications and data communications industries. The name describes the operation of the connector. The term xe2x80x9cinsulation displacementxe2x80x9d refers to cutting or displacement of insulation on unstripped wires by a conductive connector element which makes contact with the wires within the insulation jacket. When used in insulation displacement connectors, the wires are unstripped, each retaining its insulation jacket, thus avoiding any inadvertent contact between exposed wires. The term xe2x80x9cpunch downxe2x80x9d refers to the act of pressing the wires down into the connector body to make each desired connection. When a wire is xe2x80x9cpunched downxe2x80x9d into a punch down IDC, the wire is gripped and electrical connection made thereto by internal conductive connector elements.
There are presently three principle mutually incompatible types of punch down IDC housing, each designed for use with a different specific connection tool head. The first connection tool, manufactured by KRONE AG, Germany, is used for a unique IDC housing design described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,270. Another type is the type 110 punch down IDC housing made by ATandT, and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,096,442 and 5,186,647. The third principle type is the BIX punch down IDC housing, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,754. BIX is a registered trademark of Northern Telecom Limited Corporation. Housing designs are also known which are adapted to accept in the same housing both the type 110 (ATandT) and KRONE design. But no single housing is known which can be used with all three types of connection tool. Such a combination was not thought possible due to the incompatible profiles and requirements of the various tools.
The present invention can be embodied in an insulation displacement connector comprising: a dielectric body having defined thereon a rib longitudinally oriented parallel to a slot defined in the housing through which the wire is inserted, the rib defining a surface on which the wire will be positioned and cut; a first region symmetrically defined by first inside edges and first corners used to guide and retain the wire and used to guide a first tool head having a first set of features and to guide a second tool head having a second set of features; a second region symmetrically defined by second inside edges and second corners used to guide and retain the wire and used to guide a third tool head having a third set of features, the second symmetrical region not interfering with the features of the first tool head or the features of the second tool head; and a third region defined between the first and second regions, the insulation displacement connector received inside the third region.